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(No Model.) l s sheets-sheet 1. J. RICHARDS.

STEAM ENGINE GOVERNR.

No. 336,747. Y Patented Feb. 23, 1886.

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STEAM ENGINE GOVERNOR. y No. 336,747. Patented Feb. 23,188.6.

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J. RICHARDS.

` STEAM ENGINE GOVERNOR. No. 336,747. Patented Feb. 23, 1886.

cisco, in the county of San Francisco and NiTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN RICHARDS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

STEAM-ENGINE GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentiNo. 336,747, dated February 23. 1886.

Application filed October 16, 1885.

Serial No. 180.034. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that l, JOHN RicHARDs, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Fran- State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engine Governors; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of steamengine governors wherein the speed is controlled by the position and movement of the distributing-valve, instead of by throttling` or shutting off' the steam, which kind of governors is comm only called automatic governors, the steam being constantly admitted at full pressure to the cylinder and cut-off at such portion of the stroke as the work performed may require; and my invention consists, essentially, of two hinged or pivoted weights, with one of which a valve rod or link is directly connected. The pivotal points of these weights bear such relation to the valve-rod connection that the position and stroke of the valve is governed by the speed, and the said valve always opens to admit steam when the cranks are on the center, or as nearly in such position as a radial movement of the eccentric will permit; and it further consists in certain peculiarities of construction, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The objects ofthe invention are to simplify the construction of such governors as are referred to, and by attaching the valve-rod directly to the weights avoid the various joints and bearings that are required when the eccentrics are mounted on independent radius bars or slides.

In the accompanying drawings, representing my invention, Figure lis a view showing my improved governor attached to a singleacting steamengine having an oscillating valve. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing the engine and governor as they appear when connected. Fig. 3 is a view of my governor as modified, to operate in the middle of an engine-shaft, and not overhung, as shown in Figs. l and 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are separate detail views of the hinged weights.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

F represents the frame of a steamengine, and A the fly-wheel of the engine, which oontains the governor.

B and B' represent two weights strongly hinged, pivoted, or attached at Z d in such a manner as to swing out freely under the aetion of the centrifugal force generated by the revolution of the wheel A. Attached to the interior surface of the said wheel are two or more curved springs, m m, which bear against the weights B and B and resist their outward motion. They servealso to restore the weights to their original position when the centrifugal force which drives them outward has been diminished. On the weight B is formed an arm or extension, g, to receive the eccentric pin a. IVhen the two weights B and B are thrown out from the center f, the eccentric crank-pin at o moves in the arc o o until it comes to the point e, when steam will be entirely cut off by reason of the diminished stroke of the valve.

The arc o o bears such a relation to the engine-cranks, corresponding to the line t Fig. l, that steam is admitted at the beginning of the stroke of the piston, the movement being wholly different from advancing the point a in a true circle, or moving it directly to or from the center at f.

The weights B and B have nearly a coincident movement by means of the link S, which connects them, the ends of which link move in the are n n,- also the weights are connected with the valve by means of the valve vrod or link t. This valve-link t can be employed to operate a sliding or other distributing valve, the same as an oscillating one, such as is shown in the drawings.

In Figs. l and 2 the eccentric-crank is overhung and rotates in a plane beyond the end of the shaft. In many cases such an arrangement as this is not practicable and the eccentric has to be made large enough therefore to surround the crank-shaft, as shown in Fig. 3. In such cases, however, instead of the abovedescribed formation of the weight B, the eccentric gis formed integral with or is fastened firmly to one of the weights, as B; An ob;

long slot, Z, is formed in the eccentric g, to allow it to swing in the arc p, the same as hereinbefore described in connection with the form shown in Fig. 1. The equalizinglink S in this case performs the same functions as in the case of Fig. 1,'and the method of operation is in all respects the same, except that the eccentric is made large enough to surround tlie shaft f.

The springs m m are iiat bars bolted to the inside of the rim of the fly-wheel A, as above Stated, their stiffness determining the position of the weights B and B', and the consequent speed and power of an engine. Coiled or other springsrmay be employed, and may be connected with the weights in any convenient manner. The curved deiiecting-springs are suitable when the governor is placed in a pnln ley or Wheel of the-size as shown in the drawings.

To prevent friction when the springs m m bear upon the weights B and B', the two rollers are fastened into the weights in such a position as to allow the springs to bear on them, so that the movement of the several parts may be free and sensitive to slight changes of speed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a centrifugal Ysteam-engine governor, the combination of the weights B and B', hinged upon pivots d d and connected by an equalizing-link, S, the y-wheel A, the springs m m, and the valve-rod t, pivoted directly to and operated by one of the weights, all arranged and operating substantially as shown and described.

2. In a centrifugal steam-engine governor, the combination of the weight B, having projection g, and provided with wheel Q, the weight B', provided also with a wheel, Q, the springs m m, and the equalizing-rod S, connecting the two weights, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a centrifugal steam-engine governor, the combination ofthe weight B, having projection g, provided with pin a, for attaching directly a valve-rod, t, and the weight B', con nected with weight B by a link, S, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN RICHARDS.

Vitnesses:

E. L. WHiTE, FRED E. TAsKER. 

